Turn Off The TV
I've blogged in the past about kids and television, but here's another article about the subject, with frightening statistics that bear repeating.
The typical American child spends an average of 20 hours a week watching TV, yet they spend less than 40 minutes each week engaging in conversation with their parents.
56 percent of 8 to 16 year olds have TVs in their bedrooms, as do 33 percent of the kids under 6.
Holy Rabbit Ears! What in the world are these parents thinking?! If you are reading this blog post and your child has a TV in their room, then stop reading, go into your kid's room, and remove that television set right now!
Don't get me wrong. I love sitting down to watch TV with my kids, but we do it together. And I'm the one in charge of what appears on the screen. We watch all sorts of age-appropriate programs, mostly on DVD. I can't think of any show on the big four networks that I would let my 6-year-old watch. He's a big fan of The Crocodile Hunter, Scooby-Doo, and Johnny Quest. We have movie night once a week, on Friday or Saturday night, when we'll view a Disney film, or something similar, and maybe something short like a Bugs Bunny cartoon or an episode of Mr. Bean. In fact, we're having movie night tonight (no school tomorrow) with "The Incredibles" as the main attraction.
TV is definitely a part of our family fun, but it's a distant fourth on the list behind activity, imagination, and reading.
The typical American child spends an average of 20 hours a week watching TV, yet they spend less than 40 minutes each week engaging in conversation with their parents.
56 percent of 8 to 16 year olds have TVs in their bedrooms, as do 33 percent of the kids under 6.
Holy Rabbit Ears! What in the world are these parents thinking?! If you are reading this blog post and your child has a TV in their room, then stop reading, go into your kid's room, and remove that television set right now!
Don't get me wrong. I love sitting down to watch TV with my kids, but we do it together. And I'm the one in charge of what appears on the screen. We watch all sorts of age-appropriate programs, mostly on DVD. I can't think of any show on the big four networks that I would let my 6-year-old watch. He's a big fan of The Crocodile Hunter, Scooby-Doo, and Johnny Quest. We have movie night once a week, on Friday or Saturday night, when we'll view a Disney film, or something similar, and maybe something short like a Bugs Bunny cartoon or an episode of Mr. Bean. In fact, we're having movie night tonight (no school tomorrow) with "The Incredibles" as the main attraction.
TV is definitely a part of our family fun, but it's a distant fourth on the list behind activity, imagination, and reading.
Permalink posted by Phil at 10:06 AM
5 Comments:
we've been tv-free for 13 years now and have never regretted it. it is so absolutely liberating to not have tv for a whole bunch of reasons. we'll rent a video or dvd and watch as a family. since you have to get cable to get any tv at all here, there are lots of families in our neighborhood who also don't get tv. that does make it easier.
And I find that my kids are totally able to entertain themselves and have excellent imaginations; in large part, I believe, because they didn't watch much tv at all (they see it when they're visiting cousins).
The tv-in-bedroom figure really blew me away too. Hard to understand that except that maybe lots of parents aren't really thinking...
I don't think I could ever be completely TV-free. Every now and then, late at night, when the kids are asleep and I'm tired, but too tired for bed, I like to watching Law and Order or Letterman.
One thing that really helped my wife and I was making a rule that the TV doesn't go on for us until the kids are asleep. No daytime TV, etc.
I grew up watching a lot of TV, and I'll be darned if I can figure out how it helped me to view endless hours of Brady Bunch, I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched, Partridge Family, and other moronic sitcom reruns. I won't let my kids waste their time the way I did.
I hardly ever watch TV. I have a TV in my office and most of the time, I don't remember it's there. There are shows that I will watch, mostly on DVR and mostly it is Comedy Central.
I do not see a lot of sense in being TV free, unless someone in the family is seriously addicted. I've been indifferent all my life as far as TV goes, so I don't feel the need.
My kids hardly watch any TV. They watched cartoons, and then over the years, they just quit. The 9yo will still watch a show or two when he feels like it. The 12yo does not watch at all (now don't get me started about computer time...)
Well, I think you know I'm with you about keeping the TV off. We don't get cable, either. We get a few stations in but rarely watch.
It does pose a bit of a problem being that I'm in the news business, though. Hard to keep up when I don't have CNN, etc. Then again, I've never had the displeasure of watching Bill O'Reilly, either.
Coming late to the discussion but I have to say that I agree with you. Kids today watch a LOT of television. I am guilty of letting my little one watch a little too much in the morning while I do things around the house. It *is* age appropriate - PBS, Nick Jr, Disney or Animal Planet. Sometimes, theygirls will sit and watch the Discovery or History channels with me and my husband. Don't get me started on the commercials! I wasn't prepared to explain erections and penile dysfunctions to my 8 year old. Eeek.
My 4 yr old niece and 2 yr old nephew EACH have a tv/dvd set up in their bedrooms. My sis in law uses it to put the children to bed. They will watch it until they fall asleep! It makes me INSANE. Every time I visit them, I just want to smack some sense into my sis in law.
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